


Business Politics

by Runic



Category: Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Female Loki, Lady Loki, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 08:28:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1170883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a spy is exposed within the ranks of Stark Industries, Pepper and Tony have to find a new R&D Director fast, before they're left in the dust by competing company, Asgardia. But their first choice, 'Nora Hill,' a.k.a. Loki Odinson, a.k.a. estranged daughter of founder and CEO of Asgardia, may bring some changes they didn't plan for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Business Politics

**Author's Note:**

> So, for anyone not following me on tumblr, my computer has been broken for close to three weeks now, which is the reason I haven't posted anything. I'm actually stealing onto my grandpa's to bring you this one, and hopefully no one comes up to look over my shoulder before I've posted. Hopefully it will be back by the end of the week, and I'll be back to posting.

Pepper scowls at the TV where Thor Odinson is smiling as he presents Asgardia’s new smart phone prototype. It’s currently blowing the new Stark phone out of the water. They are going to need to do a serious redesign if they are even going to have a chance of competing with Asgardia in the next quarter. And she really wouldn’t be so upset if she could just hate Thor, but it’s actually impossible to do so once you’ve met the guy. Stupid Thor and his charismatic smile.

“You’re working too hard,” Tony says as he walks up behind her, leaning over the back of the couch to wrap his arms around her. He snatches the remote from her hand and turns the TV off.

“This is serious, Tony. Asgardia has always been a problem, but ever since Odin let Thor start having more responsibility they’ve started overtaking us in sales.” Pepper can’t help but sigh when Tony begins to massage her shoulders.

“Well, I was going to save it, but if I don’t give it to you right now you’ll keep making that pouty face, which is only cute when I put it there.” Tony hands over his StarkPad before he goes back to rubbing Pepper’s shoulders. Despite herself, Pepper begins to relax.

Pepper’s eyes scan the updated blueprint. “Is this what you were doing for the past three days?” she asks slowly. It’s brilliant, and it’s exactly what they need to compete with Asgardia.

“Well, as much as I would like to claim full credit, I only did the clean up. Got an email from someone named Nora Hall in R&D. Apparently Jones passed this over.”

Pepper freezes up. Jones, the head of R&D, has not been approving very many new projects lately. Pepper had had to put him on notice last week. This would have easily gotten him off. Warning bells sound loud and clear in her head. “You don’t think..?”

“We’re going to need to watch him,” Tony answers, confirming Pepper’s suspicions. “Anyways, I think this Nora deserves a raise.”

“I’ll tell her the good news. Jones might lose it.”

She can feel Tony grinning when he presses a kiss to her cheek. “Tomorrow. It’s getting late.”

“Tony, it’s 5p.m.”

“Shhh, late. We need to go to bed and cuddle, like adults.”

Pepper rolls her eyes, and turns her head so Tony can kiss her lips.

/

“Ms. Hall,” Pepper greets her, waving her hand for Loki to take a seat. “I wanted to thank you personally for all your hard work.”

Loki’s lips twitch with a hint of a smirk, but she manages to keep it off her face. “Well, I’d be out of a job if Jones was allowed to keep up his sabotage.”

“Excuse me?” Pepper snaps, her face furious. But Loki can tell she isn’t surprised. Not that Loki thought she would be, Pepper wouldn’t be CEO if she was an idiot.

Loki blinks, the very picture of innocence. Pepper looks less than convinced. “This isn’t the first good idea Jones has passed over. I’ve just been the only one willing to go over his head. He keeps telling us Stark Inc. deserves better than what we are giving, but I know some of these ideas are exactly what you are looking for; along with Asgardia apparently.”

“Are you saying Jones is selling our ideas to our competitors?” Pepper demands.

Loki drops the innocent façade. It’s not going to fool Pepper anyways. “I could not accuse him without evidence, which I found this morning and emailed to Mr. Stark. I’m sorry, I did not mean to bombard you with this news. I thought you knew.”

Pepper sighs heavily, taking a moment to regain her composure. “Not yet,” she admits. “Still, we would like to thank you for your work all the same. You’ll find that, from now, on your paycheck will have a significantly higher number on it.”

“Thank you,” Loki says, not having to fake the sincerity in her voice. It is nice working for a company that actually appreciated her efforts. She stands gracefully when Pepper does, taking the offered hand to shake. They exchange pleasant goodbyes, and Loki realizes Pepper has been sneaking a look at Loki’s cleavage. Not that Loki can say anything, she was busy taking in the sight of Pepper’s collar bone where it disappeared beneath her blouse.

 .

As soon as Nora leaves, Pepper heads for Tony’s office. She knows he’s in today, he’d walked her into the office. He has got a lot to answer for for not telling her about Jones. But when she walks across the hall, the door to Tony’s office flies open, nearly hitting her in the face. Jones comes tearing out, growls at her, and is promptly escorted out of the building flanked by security.

Pepper peeks into Tony’s office to see him leaning back in his chair, feet up on his desk. “Hey, Pep!” he greets cheerfully.

She raises her eyebrows in a silent question as she walks into the office. Tony shrugs, putting his feet back on the ground when Pepper walks around the desk and leans back against it, standing close but not touching. “I wanted to take care of it myself. I wasn’t intentionally leaving you out of the loop.”

Pepper drops the lecture she was planning on giving him, because yeah, she understands, especially after Stane. “So I guess we need another R&D Director then.”

“Yeah.” Tony spins his chair so he can lean his head against her side. “What about that Nora woman?”

“I just met with her.”

“And? Is she nice.”

Pepper snorts. “Not at all. But she is efficient, and she knows a good idea when she sees it.”

“Just what we need from the head of R&D.”

“Yes.” Pepper runs her fingers through Tony’s hair, smiling softly when his eyes flutter closed. “We need to run another background check and review her performance, but I think she’s a good candidate.”

“I’ll have JARVIS run them later.” Tony turns his head and inhales her scent. “Office sex?” he suggests.

Pepper swats his hands away. “Really, Tony? I have a job to do.”

“I’ll let you use the strap on.”

“You would have let me use it anyways.” Pepper levels a critical look at her boyfriend, but Tony keeps up with those puppy eyes until she finally sighs and gives in. “Fine, my office, and you have those results for me tonight at dinner.”

Tony’s face breaks into a grin and he jumps up, grabbing Pepper’s hand and dragging her back to her office. “Deal.”

/

Loki has a strong suspicion when she receives an email asking her to stop by Pepper’s office again in the morning that she has been found out. She shouldn’t have made herself stand out. Now she is going to have to find a new job. And she’d only managed to get out of HAMMER Industries six months ago.

Loki grumbles as she snuggles deeper into her couch, muting the TV when the phone goes off. She picks up with a ‘hello,’ not bothering to check the ID, which she regrets when her brother’s jovial voice through the line.

“Loki!”

Loki winces, holding the phone away from her ear for a moment to make sure she still has her hearing. “What do you want, Thor?” She could hang up on him, but Loki knows Thor will do his stupid pouting act, and she will hate herself for feeling guilty about it.

“I will be in Malibu next week for a party. I thought perhaps we could meet for lunch.” He covers it well, but Loki hears the desperate hope in his voice.

“No,” she answers after a tense moment of silence.

“Loki-”

“Thor, I can’t. Not yet. I…I don’t blame you,” Loki finally admits, both to herself and Thor. “I just can’t see you, not yet.”

She imagines Thor opening his mouth, then closing it in the following silence. Despite herself, Loki feels a smile creep across her face when she realizes Thor has begun to learn not to shout out whatever comes to mind. “I saw your presentation,” Loki says when she can’t stand the quiet any longer. “You did well.”

“Thank you,” Thor answers, and for a moment they sound like strangers, before Thor brings it all crashing back. “I miss you.”

Loki sighs audibly and completely overdramatic. “I miss you too, you big oaf.”

“Loki, I know how you feel about Dad, but do you think, maybe, when I take over the company, that you’d consider coming back?”

“You don’t want to hear that answer, and you know it,” Loki snaps without much conviction. But her sentimental mood is gone, replaced by irritation. Thor always did know how to make her emotions do flip flops.

“I’m not asking you to do it now. Just think about it,” Thor rushes to say before Loki tries to cut him off.

“Enough, Thor,” Loki says, talking over him as Thor rambles on. “I’m not coming back. I’m happy where I am now-” although she might not be there for much longer, “-and I want nothing to do with that company anymore. Oh,” she adds as an afterthought, “and tell Father that he’s lost his little spy, Jones.”

“Wait, Loki, what-“ Loki hears Thor shout before she hangs up.

She throws the phone across the room and curls back up, pressing her face into the pillow. She tries not to be too disappointed when it remains silent for the remainder of the night.

/

“You didn’t tell me she was hot.”

Pepper graces Tony with a withering look. “Really? That’s what you say to your girlfriend?”

“Pep, the only time you punish my nipples like that is when you’re imagining another woman, and considering that happened right after your meeting with Hall, it doesn’t take a genius, which I am, to figure out which woman you were thinking of.” Tony makes a point to stare lewdly at the image of Nora Hall in front of him. “I approve.”

“You’ve been thinking about the two of us together all day, haven’t you?”

Tony smiles up at her. “You know me so well.”

Pepper sighs and shakes her head. “Yes,” she relents, “she’s attractive, but what are we going to do about that?” Pepper waves her hand at the data on the screen. JARVIS had been very through in his search, and what Nora Hall, a.k.a. Loki Odinson, had been able to keep hidden in her first background check, was dragged up in the second.

Tony frowns, shutting off the StarkPad and setting it aside. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem reasonable for one spy to out another, not unless it would help keep said first spy’s cover. But in this case it doesn’t, it just brought Loki to our attention. It also doesn’t make sense that she’d give me those blue prints when they’re giving us the ability to seriously compete with Asgardia next quarter. There is something else going on, something we’re not going to be able to see without all the pieces laid out in front of us. I hate to fire her, but…” Tony trails off and sighs heavily, his fingers running through his hair, one of his nervous habits Pepper long ago picked up on.

“I know,” Pepper says slowly, forming an idea in her head even as it spills out in words. “She’s hiding something more than her name, but you know, I’m not sure she’s actually hiding it from us.”

“Maybe she’s in witness protection or something,” Tony suggests.

“Wouldn’t JARVIS have told you that?”

Tony flops back onto the mattress, limbs spread wide over the bed. “I was trying to be helpful.”

Pepper lays down in a more elegant fashion, holding herself into the crook of Tony’s arm. “You usually are, when you’re not blowing stuff up or pulling stunts in the suit.”

“Oh please! That fruit stand was fine! Any loud noise would have given that woman a heart attack.”

Pepper shakes her head, a small smile on her lips. “Go to sleep, Tony. We have a meeting in the morning.”

“And for once I’m not planning on missing it.”

“You just want to see the pretty lady.”

“You’re the pretty lady.”

/

Loki stops herself from sighing when she enters Pepper’s office and sees Stark is waiting for her as well. So the jig is up, not that Loki was expecting anything different. She doesn’t even bother sitting. “I suppose I’m fired then.”

Pepper and Stark share a look before Pepper answers, “That depends. We’d like some answers before we decide whether or not to terminate your employment.” She gestures for Loki to take a seat, and this time Loki slowly lowers herself into the chair. “We found ourselves in need of a new R&D Director, and considered you for the position based on your initiative. However, as you seem to have guessed, there were some concerns raised when we ran a background check.”

“Gotta say,” Tony cuts in, “we almost didn’t catch it. JARVIS really had to dig.”

Loki allows herself a small smirk. “That was two years of work you undid in a single evening, Mr. Stark. I hope you are proud of yourself.”

“Very.” Stark smirks back.

Pepper gives a small sigh and shakes her head. “Save the challenges. This is not about your technical skills.”

“Ehh, it is a little bit,” Stark counters, but relents when Pepper glares at him.

“Anyways,” Pepper says sharply, leaving no room for Loki or Stark to get off track again. “We wanted to give you a chance to explain why Odin’s estranged daughter wanted to work for us.”

Loki huffs, looking between the two. She doesn’t want to answer, not even Thor knows the whole story. But if she doesn’t, she will lose her job, and Loki loves her job. She likes being in a place where she can see her ideas going into devices people use in their everyday tasks. It's not that she cares about making things easier on them, but it's her mark on the world, something she couldn't have made if she had stayed under Odin's thumb. So the question is, does Loki value her secret more than her job? The answer comes surprisingly easy.

“Before I start spilling my guts, I ask one thing in return.”

They do it again, that shared look, even though it is just out of the corners of their eyes, they still look to each other in silent communication. “We’ll see if we can accommodate your request, but there’s nothing we can do if it puts the company at risk.”

“No, nothing like that.” Loki takes a deep breath. “Do not tell Odin that I am here. Without this assurance I will be forced to leave now.”

Tony shrugs. “I’m fine with that. Not really a fan of talking to the old man anyways.”

When Pepper nods Loki feels herself release the breath she had been holding. “Then, I guess we should start. What, exactly, would you like to know?”

“Like Pepper said, why work here? With your ideas you could easily have a high position at Asgardia right now. Why work your way up the ladder?”

“Because Odin is a liar and a thief,” Loki snaps angrily, unable to keep the hate from her voice. She clenches her jaw shut tight, taking a moment to stop her body from shaking angrily. “Odin is not my real father. He adopted me.”

“Well,” Stark says slowly when it seems as if Loki is done explaining, “that’s not so bad. I guess?”

“Except my real father was Laufey.”

A heavy silence falls over the room, broken only by Pepper’s soft “Oh.” They all know who Laufey is, the former head of Jotunheim Industries. Jotunheim and Asgardia had been serious competitors. The two had absolutely despised one another, and their rivalry was still legendary in the corporate world. Thirty years ago, Jotunheim’s stock had taken a major hit. Just as soon as they began to recover, something happened, no one even had a clue what, and the stock went back down at a staggering pace, resulting in Jotunheim declaring bankruptcy. They had held on for another five years, but eventually they’d been unable to compete with Odin and Howard any longer, and went out of business. No one had heard from Laufey since then.

“Okay,” Stark says in the same tone he’d used before. “So Odin adopted the child of his rival. Did he know you were Laufey’s?”

Loki levels a smile at him that actually has Stark taking a step back. “Of course he did. I was his insurance, in case his first plan against Laufey didn’t work. He would have released the news of my real parents.”

“Making Laufey look like he’d abandoned his child, and Odin had graciously taken her in,” Pepper finishes for her. “His public image never would have recovered. Every time people started to forget, Odin could drag you out into the public eye.”

“Exactly.” Loki really does admire how well Pepper understands how things work in this world. “But it turned out he didn’t even need me. He ruined Jotunheim’s stocks without making my adoption public. I was never anything more to him than a tool. Why would I want to work for a man like that?”

Pepper and Stark remain silent, not that Loki had really expected an answer. She stands in one fluid motion. “Please let me know when you’ve decided if I will be staying on with this company,” she says before walking out. She really has no desire to be in the room any longer.

/

Pepper snags the last piece of sushi, her lips twitching into a smirk as she chews when she notices Tony staring at the place the sushi had just been. After she swallows, she leans over and kisses Tony, humming contentedly when his tongue snakes out to taste the lingering sushi on her lips.

“So, now that we’ve finished lunch, we should discuss what we are going to do about Loki,” Pepper says, directing Tony toward the business at hand. “What do you want to do?”

Tony sets down his chopsticks, frowning when one rolls off the edge of Pepper’s desk and onto the floor. He makes no move to pick it up. “Her story checks out. Once I knew what to look for, it wasn’t hard to find the adoption records.” The fact that Tony shouldn’t have been able to access those files at all obviously doesn’t seem like a problem to him. It really isn’t, so long as he doesn’t get caught. Pepper really would like to avoid getting into a situation where Odin can use their personal activities against them.

Pepper hums softly, leaning back in her chair. “So, it’s safe to assume she really doesn’t like Odin. It’s good for competition, but…” She trails off with a sigh.

“Might cause a problem if she ever runs into Odin,” Tony finishes. “But the guy’s old, not like he’s got much time left, right?”

Pepper shakes her head. “Don’t write him off just yet, Tony. And don’t trust the rumors about him handing the company over to Thor. He’s got a good grip on the public image, but not much else. Odin won’t retire until he knows his company is safe. But then the question becomes, how is her relationship with Thor?”

“She didn’t mention him at all.”

Pepper can see the gears turning in Tony’s mind. She loves watching him think. There are times when Tony’s brain just connects pieces in a way that shouldn’t be possible. She’s surprised when she suddenly finds herself thinking of Loki. Loki had done the same thing with those blue prints. They looked so much like one of Tony’s creations that Pepper had been stunned when he told her it wasn’t his design. There is no denying that Loki is smart, Pepper had seen that within the first minute of meeting the woman, not to mention an air of confidence that can only belong to someone who can easily manipulate a room. Pepper usually never cared about an employee's background so long as it didn't put the company at risk, but Loki just keeps nagging at the back of her mind.

“But after all the stuff that happened with Odin, I think there’s too much bad blood for her to hop ship when he leaves,” Tony continues. “It’s a risk, but I keep thinking the reward is worth it.”

“So we keep her on,” Pepper translates, nodding her head in approval.

Tony raises an eyebrow at her, which Pepper challenges with a sharp look, but Tony isn’t relenting this time. “You like her.”

“I think she’s intriguing,” Pepper admits.

“You like her,” Tony repeats in a sing-song voice.

“Fine,” Pepper snaps. “I like her. I like her, and it’s bothering me because I feel like I’m cheating on you just by thinking about it.”

The joking mood immediately falls away from Tony and he leans over so he is pressing against her. “Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. Pep, I know you wouldn’t cheat on me.” He reaches up to place a hand on Pepper’s cheek, which she gratefully leans into.

“But it still doesn’t make me feel good about myself,” she says softly.

Tony takes a deep breath, in complete melodramatic fashion. “Okay, Pepper, I’m going to admit something to you. Oh god, this is so hard.” Pepper glares at him, but can’t help the small smile that starts pulling at her lips. “I think she’s hot too,” Tony whispers, putting enough mock shame in it to sink the Titanic again.

Pepper lets out a laugh, which absolutely isn’t a giggle. (She’s a grown business woman, she does not giggle.) “You’re the worst.”

“Absolutely.” Tony pushes her chair out, giving himself room to maneuver into Pepper’s lap. “Here’s what we’re going to do: we’re going to go tell our new Head of R&D the good news, and if you really want to, we’ll invite her to join us for the night.”

“I don’t know,” Pepper says hesitantly. “It’s not really professional, is it?”

“Well, our relationship isn’t very professional if you’re going with that definition.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better, Tony.”

Tony immediately hugs her close. “I take it back, we’re very professional. No one is more professional than us. And hey, it’s all up to you. You get to call all the shots. If you don’t want to go for it, we won’t. If you do, I’m completely on board, but I don’t want to push you into anything.” That charming smile crosses Tony’s face, the one Pepper can’t help but return. “Look on the bright side, we both have a weakness for the same type of woman.”

“That’s your bright side?” Pepper drawls.

“Yep!” Tony punctuates his answer by kissing her cheek.

Pepper sighs, dropping her head down onto Tony’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Pep.”

/

"Congratulations!"

Loki finds herself blinking a few times as she processes the image that greets her when she opens her door. Stark is all bright smiles, holding a bottle of champagne up like it is a trophy. Pepper stands next to him, her own smile more reserved and elegant. "Can we come in for a minute?" she asks.

"Of course," Loki answers, snapping herself out of whatever shock she'd been pulled into, stepping aside and holding the door open wider for them. She heads to the kitchen and pulls down three crystal glasses. "I take it by the champagne that I still have a job," she says as she passes them out.

"Better than that," Tony announces while filling their glasses to the brim. "We're giving you the promotion."

Loki very nearly drops her glass, but recovers her usual stiff grace before allowing them to see her shock. "You're making me head of R&D?"

"You can do the job, and that's what matters to us," Pepper explains. "After discussing the issue, Tony and I decided your past connection to  _Asgardia_  has no bearing on your position at Stark Industries."

"So," Tony draws out, stretching the syllable to its limits as he rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet, almost unable to contain what Loki hopes is excitement, "what do you say?"

Loki looks down at the liquid in her glass, seemingly to consider the issue, but more to give herself a moment to compose her thoughts. She is, at some point, going to have to figure out how these two keep managing to throw her off balance. When she had told them the truth, she believed the best case scenario would be keeping her current job. "I think," Loki finally answers, swirling the liquid in her glass before raising it up next to Tony's, "that if you two are crazy enough to push this promotion, then the only sane choice I am left with is to accept."

"Cheers," Peppers says with a laugh, raising her own glass to clink against Tony and Loki's.

"You'll have to be approved by the board," Pepper adds after they have all taken a drink. "But with the position the company is in right now with our new smart phone models scheduled to release, we can't be without an R&D Director."

"And no one has put anyone else forward, so it's not like they can make much of a protest," Tony adds.

"Except that you chose my predecessor, and he turned out to be a spy," Loki points out.

"Well, there is that." Tony drains his glass and promptly pours himself more. "But that's such a small thing."

Loki sees Pepper suppress the urge to roll her eyes at Tony's comment, but there's a glowing look of fondness there in equal measure with the exasperation. Anyone who saw the way they looked at each other would be hard pressed to say they weren't in love. "The point being, if there is protest, we'll be pushing for you." Loki could almost hear the undertone of 'and I will drive away anyone else until they all agree you are the only choice for the job'. There is a reason Pepper is CEO, and that calculated power sends a thrill through Loki.

"Thank you," Loki says, surprised by the sincerity in her own voice.

"There's a board meeting in the morning to discuss Jones' termination. They all know already, but you know, Pepper insists we have to do it all official like."

"It's a multi billion dollar company," Pepper counters, "of course we have to do it 'officially'."

"Whatever." Tony waves her off. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you'll need to be there. It's kind of like your debut."

Both women stare at him for a moment before Pepper breaks the silence. "You've been watching  _Downton Abbey_  with Happy again, haven't you?"

"Maybe a little bit."

Loki brings her glass to her lips to hide her smirk. "Well," she says when she knows her voice won't be broken by laughter, slowly setting the glass down on the counter, "if I must be up early for this all important meeting, then I guess I should actually get some sleep tonight." She pauses, looking between the two when they immediately tense up. "Unless there was something else?"

Tony turns to Pepper, handing the decision over to her. Pepper freezes, something Loki has never seen her do before, before finally turning to Tony. Loki watches as they have another of their silent conversations. She waits patiently, absolutely not jealous at all of their connection.

"No," Pepper eventually answers, shaking her head to reinforce the statement, pointedly setting her glass down next to Loki's. "We'll see you in the morning."

Loki can't help but feel that she has been cut out of something as they say their farewells and she closes the door behind them. With an angry half growl, more at herself than them, she heads to the bedroom. Loki is obviously being ridiculous, and she needs to put it all behind her if she is going to be able to focus at all in the morning.

/

Tony's hand is warm when he places it on top of her own. Pepper intertwines their fingers, looking at him for the first time since they piled back into the car and started home. "I couldn't do it, Tony. It was just too unprofessional."

"That's okay, Pep. It was your call." He leans over to place a kiss against the corner of her mouth. "I'm happy either way."

Pepper squeezes his hand in silent thanks. "For someone who avoided romantic relationships for most of his life, you're not so bad at this."

Tony leans against her side, resting his head on her shoulder. "I have to be good at it, otherwise you'll realize you deserve better than me."

"You have nothing to worry about then. I already know that, and I'm still here."

Tony lets out an over dramatic gasp, placing his hand over his heart. "Cruel, Ms Potts. You wound me."

Pepper just chuckles and placates him with a kiss of her own.

 


End file.
